The South African Democratic Teachers Union in the North West (SADTU NW) has learned with great shock, the horrific and fatal taxi accident on Friday 11 th December 2020 that took the lives of three Grade 12 learners from Rethusegile Secondary School in Lethabong Village near Rustenburg. The three met the accident on the way from attending attending an “After examination celebration”.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union(SADTU) is seeking legal action against the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and examinations quality assurer Umalusi over the decision to have all learners who wrote the National Senior Certificate (Matric) mathematics and physical science rewrite because the examination papers were leaked.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) wishes the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students all the best in their examinations. Examinations began on 10 November and will finish on 10 December.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) strongly condemns the unilateral decision of the Department of Basic Education (DBE), together with the Department of Health to allow learners who might have tested positive during the writing of examinations to write in isolation but in the same schools or examination centres where other learners are writing.

The Medium Term Budget Policy Statement delivered by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has left SADTU, the largest union in the education and public service sector with no joy. It is a slap in the face to hard working educators and public servants.

Recently, the public was embroiled in a matter of an educator being charged for taking a conscious decision to proclaim that he is an African. SADTU does not have a history on commenting on individual cases, like we have not gone public on the Neumann matter, notwithstanding the fact that it is well known that we represented Neumann at the schedule 8 consultation, prehearing and consultation with his legal team.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union, the country's biggest education union and one of the public-sector organisations involved in a legal battle with the government over its refusal to honour a three-year multi-tier wage deal it had agreed to in 2018, says it is confident that the Labour Appeal Court will rule in favour of the workers.

The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (SADTU) joins the world in celebrating World Teachers' Day, 05 October under the 2020 theme: "Teachers leading in crisis; reimagining the future".This year's World Teachers' Day has an even greater significance in light of the challenges that teachers around the globe have faced during the COVID-19 crisis. As the pandemic has shown in our country, the teachers make a crucial contribution to ensuring continuity of learning and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their students.Now is the time to recognise the teachers as builders of the nations by supporting them. We have heard parents saying schools should reopen because they were realizing how complex the teaching process is when they had to help with online or distance learning. This recognition of the vital work of the teachers must be acknowledged and supported.Now is the time to provide quality education and training for student teachers in order to equip them with skills to respond to any crisis.Now is the time to recognise the great leadership and innovation, including improvisation by the teachers during this crisis.

SADTU Limpopo Province has noted with great concern the various media statements levelled against the Provincial Secretary of COSATU Cde Gerald Twala. The union takes strong exception and umbrage against attempts to characterise the COSATU Provincial Secretary as someone who is wielding inordinate power in COSATU and uses it to leverage supposed business deals in the Province for self-benefit.